Stoner to Rossi: It’s Just a Broken Leg
Honda bound Marlboro Ducati rider Casey Stoner who has been cementing his reputation as a whiner with his difficult season so far this year has jabbed at Valentino Rossi in the media after their close battle for the podium at last weekend’s German MotoGP. Stoner says injuries are common place in racing and Rossi’s return to immediate form is no big deal.
Verbal jousting in the press is nothing new for sporting rivals with some of the best being Biaggi and Rossi going back and forth when both were in MotoGP. It seems that at least one rider is already tired of the media circus surrounding the surprise early return of Valentino Rossi to MotoGP competition after a compound fracture of his tibia and fibia.
Speaking to Autosport Stoner claimed Rossi’s 4th place performance just 42 days after his fracture was nothing remarkable.
”Everybody’s going on like he’s a crippled hero,” Stoner said. ”He has a pin in the leg, and the only problem is a bit of muscle. ”We’ve all been through injuries – myself, Jorge [Lorenzo] and Dani [Pedrosa] – and nobody ever talks about this. But when Valentino has an injury everybody talks about what a big difference it is.
link: AutoSport
For his part Rossi congratulated Stoner on his podium finish after the Australian pipped him for the position on the final turn. Then he added a barb of his own referring to Stoner’s reaction to his aggressive overtaking maneuver in 2008 at Laguna Seca, the site of this weekend’s MotoGP.
”It was a great battle with Stoner; congratulations to him,” Rossi told Autosport, after finishing a close fourth in his splendid comeback ride, just behind the Australian. Then Rossi swiftly slipped in a low blow. “If it happened the other way around he would surely have cried like he did after Laguna Seca [in 2008], but this is racing. I’m happy because he was smiling at the end.”
link: Sydney Morning Herald
With qualifying still to run as this is written , Stoner has set the fastest time so far in free practice about 1/2 a second faster than Rossi’s 6th position. The USGP at Laguna Seca will be held tomorrow, Sunday July 25th.
What do you think? Is Rossi playing up his injury or is his early return to racing remarkable? Chime in with your views in the comments section below.
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I never thought I would say this, but I’m glad Stoner is leaving Ducati now. I’ve never been on the Rossi bandwagon, but the guy has a broken leg. How many races did Stoner miss last year because he drank some milk? Let the flame wars begin now!
I’m going to agree and disagree with Casey. I disagree because while I don’t see Vale’s return as “remarkable” it isn’t the norm and as Darren said he did miss a lot of last season for suspect reasons. Perhaps there’s some sour grapes between the two and that’s what brought on the comment.
I do agree with him that Vale’s return is being played up in the press. Compare Vale’s injuries to those Niki Lauda suffered in his crash at the Nürburgring in 1976 and then consider which rates being called “remarkable”; Niki also returned to racing six weeks after his accident.
+1 Darren.
I’ve wanted to like Stoner, and I was hacked off at the way he was treated by his sponsor during his “mystery illness”, but this sounds like sour grapes.